Device for treatment of floor surfaces



H. w. Roos ET AL 2,087,265

FOR TREATMENT OF FLOOR SURFACES July 20, 1937..

DEVICE Filed Dec. 25, 1933 /l/ l z' nwlmwlnn /a 1 f IT 4o /8 l 39 l z f 4 Z4 35 z3 26 /5 l lo WWZYMW Patented July 2G, 1937 HQE DEVICE FR TREATMENT F FLOR SURFACES Henry W. Roos and Frank L. Shober, Cincinnati, Ohio Application December 23, 1933, Serial No. 703,724

l2 Claims.

This invention relates to a device for the treatment of iioor surfaces with polish or any liquid or iiuidal substance.

An` object of the invention is to provide a device for the purpose stated, which embodies exceedingly simple and most inexpensive structural design features, whereby the device may be manufactured and sold at a very nominal price.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the above stated character, which is easy to manipulate and to maintain in a clean sanitary condition.

Another object is to provide means in connection with a device for the treatment of smooth surfaces, whereby the treating iiuid is kept always under the control of the operator without undesirably increasing the effort necessary to manipulate the device.

The foregoing and other objects are attained 2O by the means described herein and disclosed in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view of the device of the invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmental cross-sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, the

polishing cloth of Fig. 1 being omitted.

Fig. 3 is a detail view showing one type of iiuid control valve that may be used in connection with the device of the invention.

Fig. 4 is an elevational view of a modication.

With reference to the accompanying drawing, i indicates a flexible and resilient container or body providing a reservoir for floor treating fluid. The element i may be in` the nature` oi a force pump element made of soft rubber or other resilient material, and it preferably has an upwardly extending hollow neck portion 5. The lower part of the element l may be closed in any suitable manner to provide a fluid-tight joint, and to accomplish this the base ange portion 6 may be provided with an annular inner slot 'l adapted for reception of a disc-like diaphragm or bottom plate 8l. The flange portion may be secured onto a substantially flat, and preferably rectangular base or board 9, by means of a circular retaining ring or the like it! which may be secured to the base 9 by means of rivets i2 or by the use of any other suitable character of fastening devices. The base or board 9 preferably is imperforate and also impervious to fiuid such as is used in treating floors and other surfaces.

`The hollow neck 5 furnishes a means whereby thereservoir t may be lled with a floor treating fluid. This neck preferably is closed by means of a stopper or closure member I3, `and it may include or encircle a smooth sleeve member I4 to permit easy insertion and removal of the stopper.

A valve l5 is provided for the purpose of allowing ejection or escape of treating fluid from 5 the interior of the reservoir, and this valve preferably has its discharge port i6 directed forwardly of the device so as to discharge uid substantially horizontally in the normal direction of movement of the device when in use. The valve l5 may be of ordinary construction, and it is preferably adapted for manual operation from a location remote from the valve and reservoir 4. The form of valve disclosed is constituted merely of a standard or post Il which is apertured to support a valve stem I3 that may be projected through the side Wall of the reservoir and clamped in place by means of the lock-nuts I9. The outer end it of the valve stem may be closed by means of a pad or the like 2,0 secured on arm 2l of a .valve handle 22. The valve member 22 has a second arm 23 disposed at an angle to arm 2|, and arm 23 is provided with a suitable fastener or clamp attachment 24 for a chain or other flexible connecting member 25. The member 22 is pivoted at 26 upon the standard l'l, and a spring 2l is arranged to normally maintain the valve in the closed position.

As is evident from the disclosure of Fig. 1, the valve is adapted to be opened manually by the reciprocatory movement of Aa connecting rod 28 which is supported in suitable guides 29 carried by the operating handle 3i). The upper end of the rod 28 may be provided with any suitable character of handle means whereby the operator may manually reciprocate the rod and actuate the valve at will. The handle means at the upper end of rod 28 may simply and conveniently be provided by wrapping the rod in spiral formation about the member 3@ as indicated at 3l. Thus, 40 there is provided, a sliding sleeve-like auxiliary handle near the free or upper end of the operating handle 39. The chain or flexible connector 25 has its opposite ends secured to the rod 28 and to the arm 23, as indicated at 32 and 24, 45 respectively.

The operating handle 3S is so associated with the compressible reservoir Il, that a downward pressure exerted thereon through the medium of member 33, will set up a pressure within the 50 reservoir and upon the treating fluid contained therein. It will therefore be understood that by opening the valve i5 and applying a slight downward pressure upon the operating handle 30, the treating fiuid may be caused to spurt from the 55 valve and onto the iioor or other surface to be polished, at a location in the normal path of movement of the device. As indicated in Fig. 1, the entire lower face 33 of the base member 9 is covered by a polishing cloth or the like 34 which is` suitably fastened relative thereto. Although there is illustrated a polishing cloth having a draw string 35 tied as at 35 to hold the cloth in place, it is to be understood that any other suitable means of securing the polishing cloth upon the base member may be employed.

The lower end 3l of the operating handle may be fixed to some substantial part of the reservoir fi, for example, the neck 5, and this may be accomplished by encircling the neck with a suitable clamping band 38 having opposed perforate ears 39 through which may pass a pivot or bolt member 4D. 'Ihe member ill passes through th-e lower end of the operating handle 3i), and may thus provide a pivotal mounting for the operating handle whereby the inclination of said handle may be adjusted to suit the operator. One end of the bolt or pivot member iii) may be provided with a wing nut or other frictional adjusting means l I.

The valve i5 should include a spring which is suiciently strong to preclude the accidental escape of fluid from the reservoir, such as might possibly result from accidentally bumping the reservoir against an article of furnitiu'e or the like. Another reason for providing a strong valve is to preclude leakage of fluid from the device while it is not in use, or While it is standing in the storage room or closet where clothing or other articles might fall upon or rest upon the reservoir or the handle Sil. It is appreciated, of course, that the device may be made more nearly automatic by the use of a weak discharge valve and omission of the valve controlling means 25 28-3E, but under most circumstances it is preferable to have the valve under manual control at all times. It is considered that the use of a weak valve in place of a strong onefalls within the scope of this invention.

Attention is directed particularly to the fact that the treating. fluid does not pass from the reservoir and through the base plate 9 in order to reach the surface to be treated or polished. rIhe elimination of perforate or pervious base plates is an important feature of the present invention, for the reason that the wax is not forced to penetrate the polishing and spreading cloth and thereby separate the solvent from the wax during use.

To operate the device it is necessary only to open the valve l by slightly moving the auxiliary handle 3l lengthwise of the operating handle, and then apply a slight downward force upon the operating handle 3S. This action will cause either a spurt, or a stream, of iiuid to project onto the floor a short distance ahead of the device, whereupon the device may be moved forwardly to distribute the fluid and polish or treat the floor. The base plate e preferably is made angular of shape to facilitate entry thereof into corners of a room.

In accordance Iwith Fig. 4, the valve is opened by reason of a downward, instead of an upward, movement of the rod ZS. This may be accomplished in various ways, for example by means of a lever i5 pivoted onto the device as at d6 for tensioning the element 25 when the rod is moved downwardly.

Attention is directed to the fact that the flexible reservoir member, or the flexibility between the operating handle and the reservoir member,

provides for even and uniform contact of the polishing and spreading cloth upon the floor even though the inclination of the operating handle be changing constantly during use of the device. In other words, a universal joint effect is provided, thereby maintaining always a full contact of the base parts with the floor.

It is to be understood that various modifications and changes in the structural details of the device may be made, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

l. In a device of the class described, the combination of an inverted cup-shaped soft rubber collapsible reservoir for storing a treating fluid, said reservoir including a bottom impenetrable by the fluid to preclude seepage onto the floor, a polishing cloth and means for supporting said cloth about the reservoir means, a control valve having a discharge port for directing treating fluid from the reservoir to a point remote from the polishing cloth, and means for applying pressure to the reservoir during operation of the device for collapsing the rubber reservoir and ejecting treating fluid through the valve by means of the internal pressure resulting from collapse of the reservoir.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination of means providing a collapsible reservoir for storing a treating fluid, said reservoir including a bottom impenetrable by the fluid to preclude seepage onto the floor, a polishing cloth and means for supporting said cloth about the reservoir means, a control valve having a discharge port for directing treating iluid from the reservoir to a point exteriorly of the reservoir, and

- handle means mounted for collapsing the reservoir during operation of the device for e-jecting treating fluid through the valve.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination of means providing a resilient compressible reservoir for storing a treating fluid, a polishing cloth and means for supporting said cloth about the reservoir means, a control valve having a discharge port for directing treating fluid from the reservoir to a point upon the floor adjacent to the reservoir, an operating handle for the device and a valve actuator supported by the handle, the operating handle being associated with the reservoir to compress the reservoir and place the fluid therein under pressure to enforce ejection of the fluid through the valve when opened.

4. In a device of the class described, the combination of a resilient compressible reservoir member of inverted cup shape, a hollow resilient neck extending upwardly from the reservoir member, a closure means for the hollow resilient neck, a bottom for the. reservoir member, a valve having a discharge port near the bottom of the reservoir member for directing a fluid from the reservoir member laterally to a point exteriorly of the reservoir member, a polisher on the bottom of the reservoir member, an operating handle having one end associated with the upwardly extending resilient neck to provide a resilient connection such as will afford a flat contact of the device upon the floor regardless of the inclination of the handle, the handle also transmitting compressive force to the reservoir member so as to compress the uid therein and enforce ejection thereof through the valve port when the valve is open, and means for opening and closing the valve manually.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination of a resilient compressible reservoir member of inverted cup shape, a hollow neck extending upwardly from the reservoir member, a closure means for the hollow neck, a bottom for the reservoir member, a valve having a discharge port near the bottom of the reservoir member for directing a fluid from the reservoir member laterally to a point exteriorly of the reservoir member, a polisher substantially covering the bottom of the reservoir member, an operating handle having one end associated with the upwardly eX- tending neck of the reservoir member for transmitting compressive force to the reservoir member so as tocompress the: iluid therein and en,- force ejection thereof through the valve port when the valve is open, and means located near the free end of the operating handle for opening and closing the valve manually.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination of a resilient compressible reservoir member of inverted cup` shape, a hollow neck extending upwardly from the reservoir member, a closure means for the hollow neck, a bottom for the reservoir member, a valve having a discharge port near the bottom of the reservoir member for directing a liuid from the reservoir member laterally to a point eXteriorly of the reservoir member, a handle associated with the reservoir member having one end associated with the upwardly extending neck of the reservoir member for transmitting compressive force to the reservoir member so as to compress the fluid therein and enforce ejection thereof through the valve port when the valve is open, and means located near the free end of the operating handle for opening and closing the valve manually, said means including a flexible connector to allow for different inclinations to which the operating handle may be moved by the operator.

7. In a device of the class described, the combination of a flexible and resilient reservoir for storing a treating fluid, a polishing cloth and means for supporting said cloth about the reservoir, a controllable discharge valvey for directing fluid from the reservoir, and an operating handle associated with the reservoir for transmitting theretoa downward force tocompress the reservoir and cause ejection of fluid through the discharge Valve when the valve is opened.

8. In a device of the class described, the combination of a compressible resilient reservoir for storing a treating fluid, a polishing means mounted upon the reservoir, an operating handle arranged to transmit a downward force upon both the polishing means and the reservoir to build up. pressure within the reservoir, a valve associated with the reservoir, said valve having a discharge port for directing fluid laterally from the reservoir, spring means associated with the valve for precluding fluid discharge upon application of but slight force to the reservoir, and means for opening the valve independently of the application of force to the reservoir.

9. A iloor polishing device comprising in combination a substantially flat plate-like base member and means positioned -beneath the base member for contacting and rubbing a floor, a longitudinal operating handle for moving the device across a floor, and a flexible and resilient rubberlike connecting means between the operating handle and the base member, to afford a flat contact of the device upon the iloor regardless of universal movement of the handle by the operator, said flexible and resilient connecting means holding the operating handle yieldingly at an inclination relative to the base member.

10. In a device of the class described, the combination of a flexible and resilient reservoir having an imperforate vbottom for storing a treating fluid, a polishing cloth and means for supporting said cloth about the reservoir, a discharge port for directing fluid laterally from the reservoir, and an operating handle associated with the reservoir for transmitting thereto a downward force to compress the reservoir and cause ejection of fluid through the discharge port.

11. In a device of the class described, the combination of an apertured ileXible and resilient reservoir for storing a treating fluid, a polishing means and means for supporting same upon the reservoir, a quick-acting valve normally closing the aperture of the reservoir and directing fluid from the reservoir when` the valve is opened, an operating handle extending upwardly relative to the reservoir, for transmitting thereto a downward force to compress the reservoir and cause ejection of fluid through the valve when the Valve is opened, a longitudinally reciprocable member mounted upon the handle, and means for opening the valve upon movement of said member toward the upper end of the handle.

12. In a device of the class described, the combination of an apertured collapsible reservoir for storing a treating iiuid, a polishing means associated with the reservoir, a quick-acting Valve normally closing the aperture of the reservoir and directing fluid from the reservoir when the valve is opened, an operating handle extending upwardly relative to the reservoir, for transmitting thereto a downward force to compress the reservoir and cause ejection of uid through the valve when the Valve is opened, a longitudinally reciprocable rod mounted for sliding movement along the handle, and means associated with the rod for opening the valve upon movement of said rod downwardly in the general direction of the operators pushing action upon the handle.

HENRY W. ROOS. FRANK L. SHOBER. 

